Finish: 2nd place, 16-17 finals loss to Doublewide, 4-1 record
UPA score reporter from the Southern Regional

Joel Wooten with a seemingly impossible catch to keep a possession alive
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Rob White scoring a Callahan goal on defense to give Chain a 2nd half lead
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Ah, yes…the updates definitely do not tend to come as fast following disappointment. For the second year in a row, Chain Lightning came up just short at the Southern Regionals (in Austin, TX this year) with a 17-16 (same score as in Jacksonville a year ago) overtime loss to local favorites Doublewide. While Chain Lightning had beaten Doublewide twice earlier this season, the Texans played a skilled, tough game this time out to win a thriller. The finals match saw no lead greater than 2 for either team and at least 4 lead changes.

Brilliantly captured, as seen above, by photographer Chad Borer were two of the highlight plays of the game and, almost certainly, the year. In the first Joel Wooten stretched his six and half foot frame back and around the defender he’d been sprinting past to snare a sure turnover. The second shows Rob White’s layout catch block on defense to score the Callahan goal that gave a surging Chain the 11-10 lead.

Chain Lightning did defeat El Diablo for the 2nd time on the weekend to claim the 2nd bid to nationals, but likely cost ourselves a half-dozen seeding spots for the championship in Sarasota by failing to win the region after being favored to do so.